Sandpit

A sandpit (called a sandbox in the US and Canada) is a shallow, wide container or a low depression filled with soft beach sand for children to play in. Building-grade sharp sand is not appropriate for this purpose. Because they are simple and inexpensive to build, many parents construct sandpits in their own backyards, unlike most playground equipment.

The first organized public play spaces for children were German sand gardens, which emerged in 1850 as a development of Friedrich Fröbel’s kindergarten concept. Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska brought sand gardens to America, starting in her hometown of Boston, after seeing them in Berlin during the summer of 1885. Joseph Lee, also of Boston, is credited as the founder of the playground movement.

The pit or box itself is merely a container that keeps sand—or another material—from spreading onto nearby surfaces. Some models include lids to cover the sand when not in use. Actual sand can pose health risks, such as ringworm, which animals may introduce.